Fence-post.



No. 704.035. Patented July 8, I902.

A. HENRY.

FENCE POST.

(Application filed Aug. 13, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

ALBERT HENRY, OF NEBRASKA CITY, NEBRASKA.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,035, dated July 8, 1902. Application filed August 13, 1901. Serial No. 71,959. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nebraska City, in the county of Otoe and State of Nebraska,have invented a new and useful Fence- Post, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic fenceposts; and has for its object to provide a fencepost which shall be simple of construction, of the highest eficiency and durability in use, and that may be readily driven into the ground, thereby avoiding the necessity of digging post-holes, and in which the fencewire-retaining means shall be so constructed as to render unnecessary the employment of any supplemental fastening means for holding the wires in position.

A further object is to provide a fence-post of such construction that all danger of injuring the fence-wires when being associated therewith will be obviated and in which resistance to tightening the wires will be reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to adapt the fence-post either for supporting wires or for supporting wooden posts, the latter being designed for use where wire-netting or ordinary fence- -boards are to be employed in lieu of Wires.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combinationof parts of a fence-post, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, there isillustrated a form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into efiect, it being understood that the elements herein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the scope of the invention, and in these drawings Figure 1 is a View in side elevation, exhibiting a section of wire fence constructed 'in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a relation thereto.

tail view of one of the fence-posts. Fig. lis a view in side elevation, partly in section, exhibiting the fence post with an ordinary wooden post associated therewith and to be employed where wooden fencing or wire-netting is to be supported in lieuof the ordinary fence-wires shownin Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view in plan showing themanner of constructing a fence employing the form of post shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the fence-post, to be made either of wroughtiron, cast-iron, or cast-steel and to be galvanized or otherwise treated to present a rustproof structure. The post in cross-section is Z-shaped, presenting two parallel wire-supporting members 2 and 3 and a connecting web 4, the said members being provided adjacent to their edges with a plurality of openings 5, leading into which from the edges of the members are oblique slits 6, through which the fence-wires are inserted to be brought into engagement with the openings 5. The lower end of each of the members 2 and 3 is cut away or beveled at 7, the beveled portions being pitched in opposite directions, thus to present a chisel-point, which will permit of the post-being readily driven into the ground. By reason of the angular disposition of the slits 6 with relation to the openings 5 there will be presented at each of these openings two oppositely-disposed overhanging tongues 8, which operateto prevent disengagement of the fence-wires 9 from the said openings when once seated therein. To assemble the fence-wires with the openings 5, it is necessary while the wires are slack to pass them through the slits in the manner indicated by dotted lines at the upper lefthand' corner of Fig. 1, after which the respective wires are drawntaut and are secured to the end posts(not shown) in any preferred manner;

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that the corners 10 of the members 2 and 3 are rounded and that the wire-openings 5 are IOO as from cutting or buckling, which would inevitably result were the said corners angular, is effectively obviated. Further, by reason of the fact that the Wires are practically free from contact with the walls of the wire-openings resistance to tighteningthe wires will be reduced to a minimum.

In both Figs. 1 and 2 the fence-wires are shown as provided with barbs 11; but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to this particular form of wire, as plain or twisted wire may be employed and still be within the scope of the invention.

In setting up a line of fence employing posts of the character herein described the parallel members of the posts are disposed at right angles to the length of the fence, and to present the most eifective form of fence and one that will be best adapted to resist strains and pressure the wires are caused to engage the wire-openings alternatelythat is, in zigzag orderas shown in Fig. 2, and by thus disposing the wires each pair of wires cross at the central. point between two posts, thereby effecting a positive bracing of the post against any tendency to loosen, and thus to sag, and further rendering the Wires between two postswhere they cross practically as efficient to resist strain and pressure as they are adjacent to the posts. In effect, a fence thus constructed is practically twice as strong as one in which all the wires are on the same side of the post and disposed in vertical parallelism.

When the post 1 is to support a supplemental wooden post 12, the latter is held assemhled with one of the parallel members of the post 1 by-bolts or lag-screws 13, which pass through the wire-openings 5 and into the post 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. When this combination fence-post is employed, the wire-post is driven into the ground, while the wooden post rests upon the ground. The wooden posts may be employed for supporting ordinary fence-boards, as shown at 14: in Fig. 5, 0i stringers may be secured at suitable intervals to the post 12 and wire-netting secured to the stringers, or, if preferred, the stringers may be omitted and the wire-netting be attached directly to the posts 12. When the post 1 is employed under the latter conditions, the members 2 and 3 thereof are disposed parallel with the length of the fence, as shown in Fig. 5, and when thus disposed are Z-shaped in cross-section when viewed from above, while when positioned as shown in Fig. 2 the posts are N-shaped in cross-section when similarly viewed. As,

however, the post will be more generally used in the position shown in Fig. 2, the term N- shaped will be employed to define its contour; but it is to be borne in mind that this term is merely used for convenience of description and will be understood as comprebending the shape of the post when placed in either of the positions shown.

It is to be understood that the obliquity of the slits 6 may be greater or less than that shown and also that the openings 5 may be circular, as shown, or oblong or elliptical or of any other preferred shape and still be within the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A fence-post comprising two parallel members connected by a diagonally-disposed web, the members being rounded at their point of juncture with the web, and provided, adjacent to their edges, with wire-openings disposed approximately in line withthe crest of the rounded corners.

2. A fence-post comprising two parallel members connected by a diagonally-disposed web, the members being rounded at their point of juncture with the web, and provided adjacent to their edges with wire-openings disposed approximately in line with the crest of the rounded corners, and with oblique slits entering the openings.

3. Afence composed of a plurality of fenceposts each comprising two members connected by a diagonally-disposed web, the members having rounded corners, and provided adjacent their edges with wire-openings disposed approximately in line with the crest of the said corners, and fence-wires alternately engaging the openings in the members, in zigzag order, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. A fence-post, comprising two parallel members connected by a diagonally-disposed web, the members being rounded at their point of juncture with the web, and provided adjacent to their edges with wire-openings disposed approximately in line with the crest of the rounded corners and with oblique slits entering the openings, the lower end of each member being beveled or cut away to present,

in conjunction with the web, a chisel-point, substantially as and for the purpose specified. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT HENRY. \Vitnesses: I

ALEXANDER HART, CHAS. O. BRANT.

III) 

